Many vehicles on the road today utilize sets of dual wheels. Eighteen wheel semi-trailer rigs have several sets of dual wheels, and most delivery trucks and even some pickup trucks incorporate dual wheels for greater load capability.
Maintenance of proper tire inflation is important to the operation of tired vehicles, and particularly freight and delivery vehicles having a high degree of usage. Valve stems for introducing air into tires are typically mounted in the outside wheel rim, and can be a source of leakage. In automobiles and other light-duty vehicles, the valve stems are usually press fitted into the wheel. In heavier duty vehicles, such as trucks and the like, the valve stems are typically secured to the wheels by retainer nuts. These valve stem retainer nuts can loosen from vibration and road shock, and thus require tightening every so often to maintain a proper seal between the wheel and valve stem. This task has been especially difficult and time consuming for the inside wheel of a dual wheel set because heretofore it has been necessary to first remove the outside wheel. Due to the difficulty of removing outside wheels, valve stem retainer nuts on inside wheels have not been tightened as often as required. There is thus a need for a tool for tightening the valve stem retainer nut on the inside wheel of a dual wheel set without removal of the outside wheel.